Fire Safety Code, Rhode Island

Decisions - Details

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
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DECISION
FILE NO.: 090221
LOCATION OF PREMISES: 20 Austin Avenue
APPLICANT: Mr. Norman P. Audino, Jr. 20 Austin Avenue Greenville, RI 02828
USE OR OCCUPANCY: Health Care
DATE OF DECISION: 2010-09-30
The above-captioned cases were scheduled for hearing on July 27, 2010 at 1:00 P.M.  At that time, Vice Chairman Newbrook and Commissioners Dias, Walker, Jasparro, Jackson, Preiss and Richard were present.  The fire service was represented by Deputy State Fire Marshal Christine Kent of the State Fire Marshal's Office along with Assistant Deputy State Fire Marshal James Waterman of the Smithfield Fire Marshals Office.  A motion was made by Commissioner Preiss and seconded by Commissioner Jasparro to grant the Applicant relief as outlined herein.  The motion was unanimous.

FINDINGS OF FACT
	The numbers of the Decision below correspond with those of an April 7, 2010 inspection report compiled by the State Fire Marshals Office.  The above report was utilized by the Board, the Applicant, the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Smithfield Fire Marshals Office during the July 27, 2010 hearing on this matter.  Accordingly, the Board hereby incorporates the April 7, 2010 inspection report as its initial findings of fact.  Any modification of the Boards findings, such as correction of a deficiency by the Applicant, shall be noted herein. 

Any deficiency understood by the Board to have been corrected, which is not so corrected, shall be immediately corrected by the Applicant.  The term approved, as used herein, is understood to mean in accordance with the specific provisions related to the particular subject as are contained in this Code, or as approved in particular by the State Fire Marshal or his or her designee.

CONCLUSIONS AND VARIANCE REQUESTS 
	1-2.  During the July 27, 2010 hearing on this matter, the Board was advised that this facility is fully sprinklered with the exception of the business office which has been separated by at least one-hour construction.  The Board was further advised that the Applicant would fully sprinkler this facility and needed time in order to extend the sprinkler coverage.  Accordingly, the Board hereby grants the Applicant a time variance of thirty (30) days from the date of this decision in order to submit a plan of action for the sprinklering of the remainder of this facility, and sixty (60) days to complete the sprinklering of the remainder of this facility, at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State and Smithfield Fire Marshals' offices.  Once the facility is fully sprinklered, the Board hereby grants a variance from the provisions of Rhode Island Life Safety Code section 19.1.6 and its referenced standards along with Rhode Island Life Safety Code section 33.3.1.3 and its referenced standards in order to allow the Applicant to be deemed in compliance with the minimum construction requirements of the code.  It is the understanding of the board that the Applicant has corrected the remaining deficiencies (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11) at the direction and to the satisfaction of the State and Smithfield Fire Marshals' offices.  

STATUS OF DECISION AND APPEAL RIGHTS
	This Decision represents a comprehensive, integrated plan of fire safety for the above-captioned facility under the above-cited use or occupancy.  Accordingly, every variance granted is conditioned upon the Applicants timely and continued compliance with all of the directives of the Board. Every variance granted is further conditioned upon the continued use or occupancy of this facility under the above-cited classification reviewed by the Board.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-17).
	Failure of the Applicant to initially comply with the full Decision of the Board, within the stated time frame, shall void all variances granted herein.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-18.)  In the event of complete, timely and continued compliance with the full Decision of the Board, the above cited variances shall be deemed to have vested in the above-captioned facility.  As long as this facility is in continued compliance with the full Decision of the Board, the above-cited variances shall remain with this facility in the absence of any change in use or occupancy mandating review under a separate classification of the Fire Code or a revision of the above-cited classification.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-19).  

Such changes in use or occupancy of this facility, or failure to continually comply with the Boards Decision shall void all variances granted under the above-cited use or occupancy.  If such change creates a new use or occupancy as outlined in R.I.G.L. 23-28.1-6, all variances granted under the original use or occupancy are void and this facility shall be reviewed under the newly created use or occupancy.  (See: Board Rules and Regulations, section 6-2-20).
	The Applicant may appeal the Boards Decision, within thirty (30) days of the mailing date of this Decision, by commencing an action against the State Fire Marshal in the Sixth division of the District Court.  Commencement of such an action does not operate as an automatic stay of this Decision [R.I.G.L. 42-35-15(c)].
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